Foreign Affairs Research Specialists Jemimah Joanne C. Villaruel and Jeremie P. Credo from the Center of International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) of the Foreign Service Institute participated in the 32nd Asia-Pacific Roundtable with the theme “Disruption: People. Technology. Power. Security.” held on 07-09 May 2018 at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The international conference was organized by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia under the auspices of the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies , a network of Southeast Asia’s leading think-tanks.

The Asia Pacific Roundtable is an annual Track 2 international conference that brings together policymakers, scholars, and experts to engage in robust discussions on a wide range of issues that impinge on the security, stability, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

The 32nd Asia Pacific Roundtable was comprised of four plenary sessions focusing on issues such as politics in Southeast Asia, the future of APEC, innovating ASEAN, and the new global order; and six concurrent sessions focusing on different regions in the Asia Pacific region and issues such as the use of technology in warfare, violent extremism, and strategic updates in Northeast Asia, West Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia.

As the main theme centered on disruption, the roundtable discussed urgent issues stemming from disruptive factors that impact on the region and its foreign policies. As emphasized in the welcoming remarks, the evolution of the regional security architecture in Asia Pacific, foreign policy in the digital age, the impact of autonomous technology on the battlefield, and significant changes in many regions of the world merit attention, given the larger ramifications to international order.

The two-day forum was attended by over 250 participants and specialists from various international think-tanks, academe, and the public and private sectors.